10/04/2009

There was a dramatic turn of events yesterday in Parliament when the Creation and Internet bill (see news) – which was set to introduce a system of warnings and sanctions in the case of illegal downloading of works – was rejected in the final vote by 21 members of Parliament against 15.

The absence of parliamentarians from the majority party, who thought that the law’s approval was a foregone conclusion (the bill having been ratified in all the previous parliamentary stages), and the last-minute trick from the opposition members (who hid behind a curtain and emerged just in time for the vote), have sent the bill back to the starting blocks.

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The government and the Minister of Culture have no choice but to start the whole parliamentary process over again.

(Translated from French)